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Robert Burns the Letters ROBERT BURNS THE LETTERS 2008 – All rights reserved Non commercial use permitted BURNS'S LETTERS. THE LETTERS OF ROBERT BURNS, SELECTED AND ARRANGED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION, BY J. LOGIE ROBERTSON, M.A. _"You shall write whatever comes first,--what you see, what you read, what you hear, what you admire, what you dislike; trifles, bagatelles, nonsense, or, to fill up a corner, e'en put down a laugh at full length"_--Burns. _"My life reminded me of a ruined temple: what strength, what proportion in some parts! what unsightly gaps, what prostrate ruin in others!"_--Burns. GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE To Ellison or Alison Begbie (?) To Ellison Begbie To Ellison Begbie To Ellison Begbie To Ellison Begbie To his Father To Sir John Whitefoord, Bart., of Ballochmyle To Mr. John Murdoch, schoolmaster, Staples Inn Buildings, London To his Cousin, Mr. James Burness, writer, Montrose To Mr. James Burness, writer, Montrose To Mr. James Burness, writer, Montrose To Thomas Orr, Park, Kirkoswald To Miss Margaret Kennedy To Miss----, Ayrshire To Mr. John Richmond, law clerk, Edinburgh To Mr. James Smith, shopkeeper, Mauchline To Mr. Robert Muir, wine merchant, Kilmarnock To Mr. John Ballantine, banker, Ayr To Mr. M'Whinnie, writer, Ayr To John Arnot, Esquire, of Dalquatswood To Mr. David Brice, shoemaker, Glasgow To Mr. John Richmond, Edinburgh To Mr. John Richmond To Mr. John Kennedy To his Cousin, Mr. James Burness, writer, Montrose To Mrs. Stewart, of Stair To Mr. Robert Aikin, writer, Ayr To Dr. Mackenzie, Mauchline; inclosing him verses on dining with Lord Daer To Mrs. Dunlop, of Dunlop To Miss Alexander In the Name of the Nine. _Amen_ To James Dalrymple, Esquire, Orangefield To Sir. John Whitefoord To Mr. Gavin Hamilton, Mauchline To Mr. John Ballantine, banker, at one time Provost of Ayr To Mr. Robert Muir To Mr. William Chambers, writer, Ayr To the Earl of Eglinton To Mr. John Ballantine To Mrs. Dunlop To Dr. Moore To the Rev. G. Lawrie, Newmilns, near Kilmarnock To the Earl of Buchan To Mr. James Candlish, student in physic, Glasgow College To Mr. Peter Stuart, Editor of "The Star," London To Mrs. Dunlop To Mrs. Dunlop To Dr. Moore To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. William Nicol, classical master, High School, Edinburgh To Mr. William Nicol To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Mr. James Smith, Linlithgow, formerly of Mauchline To Mr. John Richmond To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Dr. Moore To Mr. Archibald Lawrie To Mr. Robert Muir, Kilmarnock To Mr. Gavin Hamilton To Mr. Walker, Blair of Athole To his Brother, Mr. Gilbert Burns, Mossgiel To Mr. Patrick Miller, Dalswinton To Rev. John Skinner To Miss Margaret Chalmers, Harvieston To Mrs. Dunlop of Dunlop House, Stewarton To Mr. James Hoy, Gordon Castle To the Earl of Glencairn To Miss Chalmers To Miss Chalmers To Miss Chalmers To Mr. Richard Brown, Irvine To Mrs. Dunlop To Mrs. Dunlop To the Rev. John Skinner To Mrs. Rose, of Kilravock To Richard Brown, Greenock To Mr. William Cruikshank To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Mr. Richard Brown To Mr. Robert Muir To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. William Nicol (perhaps) To Miss Chalmers THE CLARINDA LETTERS GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE (RESUMED)-- To Mr. Gavin Hamilton To Mr. William Dunbar, W.S., Edinburgh To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. James Smith, Avon Printfield, Linlithgow To Professor Dugald Stewart To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Samuel Brown, Kirkoswald To Mr. James Johnson, engraver, Edinburgh To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Mrs. Dunlop To Mrs. Dunlop, at Mr. Dunlop's, Haddington To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Peter Hill, bookseller, Edinburgh To Mrs. Dunlop To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Beugo, engraver, Edinburgh To Mr. Robert Graham, of Fintry To his Wife, at Mauchline. To Miss Chalmers, Edinburgh To Mr. Morison, wright, Mauchline To Mrs. Dunlop, of Dunlop To Mr. Peter Hill To the Editor of the "Star" To Mrs. Dunlop, at Moreham Mains To Dr. Blacklock To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. John Tennant To Mrs. Dunlop To Dr. Moore, London To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Professor Dugald Stewart To Mr. Robert Cleghorn, Saughton Mills To Bishop Geddes, Edinburgh To Mr. James Burness To Mrs. Dunlop To, Mrs. M'Lehose (formerly Clarinda) To Dr. Moore To his Brother, Mr. William Burns To Mr. Hill, bookseller, Edinburgh To Mrs. M'Murdo, Drumlanrig To Mr. Cunningham To Mr. Richard Brown To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Mrs. Dunlop To Miss Helen Maria Williams To Mr. Robert Graham, of Fintry. To David Sillar, merchant, Irvine. To Mr. John Logan, of Knock Shinriock To Mr. Peter Stuart, editor, London To his Brother, William Burns, saddler, Newcastle-on-Tyne To Mrs. Dunlop To Captain Riddel, Friars Carse To Mr. Robert Ainslie, W.S. To Mr. Richard Brown, Port-Glasgow To Mr. R. Graham, of Fintry To Mrs. Dunlop To Lady Winifred M. Constable To Mr. Charles K. Sharpe, of Hoddam To his Brother, Gilbert Burns, Mossgiel To Mr. William Dunbar, W.S. To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Peter Hill, bookseller, Edinburgh To Mr. W. Nicol To Mr. Cunningham, writer, Edinburgh To Mr. Hill, bookseller, Edinburgh To Mrs. Dunlop To Dr. John Moore, London To Mr. Murdoch, teacher of French, London To Mr. Cunningham To Mr. Crauford Tait, W.S., Edinburgh To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. William Dunbar, W.S. To Mr. Peter Hill To Dr. Moore To Mrs. Dunlop To the Rev. Arch. Alison To the Rev. G. Haird To Mr. Cunningharn, writer, Edinburgh To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Cunningham To Mr. Thomas Sloan To Mr. Ainslie To Miss Davies To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. William Smellie, printer To Mr. William Nicol To Mr. Francis Grose, F.S.A To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Cunningham To Mrs. Dunlop To Mrs. Dunlop To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. R. Graham, Fintry To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Robert Graham, of Fintry To Mr. Alex. Cunningham, W.S., Edinbiugh To Mr. Cunningham To Miss Benson, York, afterwards Mrs. Basil Montagu To Mr. John Francis Erskine, of Mar To Miss M'Murdo, Drumlanrig To John M'Murdo, Esq., Drumlanrig To Mrs. Riddel To Mrs. Riddel To Mrs. Riddel To Mrs. Riddel To Mr. Cunningham To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. James Johnson To Mr. Peter Hill, Jun., of Dalswinton To Mrs. Riddel To Mrs. Dunlop To Mrs. Dunlop, in London To the Hon. The Provost, etc., of Damfries To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr James Johnson To Mr. Cunningham To Mr. Gilbert Burns To Mrs. Burns To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. James Burness, writer, Montrose To his Father-in-law, James Armour, mason, Mauchline THE THOMSON LETTERS BURNS'S LETTERS. It is not perhaps generally known that the prose of Burns exceeds in quantity his verse. The world remembers him as a poet, and forgets or overlooks his letters. His place among the poets has never been denied--it is in the first rank; nor is he lowest, though little remembered, among letter-writers. His letters gave Jeffrey a higher opinion of him as a man than did his poetry, though on both alike the critic saw the seal and impress of genius. Dugald Stewart thought his letters objects of wonder scarcely less than his poetry. And Robertson, comparing his prose with his verse, thought the former the more extraordinary of the two. In the popular view of his genius there is, however, no denying the fact that his poetry has eclipsed his prose. His prose consists mostly of letters, but it also includes a noble fragment of autobiography; three journals of observations made at Mossgiel, Edinburgh, and Ellisland respectively; two itineraries, the one of his border tour, the other of his tour in the Highlands; and historical notes to two collections of Scottish songs. A full enumeration of his prose productions would take account also of his masonic minutes, his inscriptions, a rather curious business paper drawn up by the poet-exciseman in prosecution of a smuggler, and of course his various prefaces, notably the dedication of his poems to the members of the Caledonian Hunt. His letters, however, far exceed the sum of his other-prose writings. Close upon five hundred and forty have already been published. These are not all the letters he ever wrote. Where, for example, is the literary correspondence in which he engaged so enthusiastically with his Kirkoswald schoolfellows? "Though I had not three farthings' worth of business in the world, yet every post brought me as many letters as if I had been a broad-plodding son of daybook and ledger." Where are the letters which brought to the ploughman at Lochlie such a constant and copious stream of replies? The circumstances of his position will explain why they perished: he was then "a youth and all unknown to fame." It is even doubtful if the five hundred and forty published letters include all the letters of Burns that now exist. Scarcely a year passes but some epistolary scrap in the well-known handwriting is unearthed and ceremoniously added to the previous sum total, And yet, notwithstanding losses past or within recall, it is probable that we have long had the whole of Burns's most characteristic letters. It was inevitable that these should be preserved and published. His fame was so rooted in the popular regard in his lifetime, that a characteristic letter from his hand was sure to be received as something singularly precious. It must not be forgotten, however, that Burns's personality was so intense as to colour the smallest fragment of his correspondence, and it is on this account desirable that every note he penned that yet remains unpublished should be produced. It might give no new feature to our conception of his character; but it would help the shading--which, in the portraiture of any person, must chiefly be furnished by the minor and more commonplace actions of his everyday life.
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